Roller shade guide and holder



Jan. 17, 1933. MCNULTY 1,894,627

ROLLER SHADE GUIIDE AND HOLDER Filed July 29, 1931 //vv /v-r0/ THOMAS E.M NULT'Y Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES THOMAS E. MCNULTY, O1

ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA ROLLER SHADE GUIDE AND HOLDER Application filed July29,

This invention relates particularly to an apparatus for confining awindow shade to movement in a predetermined path over a window openingor other analogous enclo- 5 sure.

An object of the invention is to provide a pair of parallel guidemembers on opposite sides of a window frame to which means on a'windowshade may be slidably guided 0 for controlling the movement of thewindow shade in a predetermined path over the window frame, and forpreventing the edges of the shade from dropping or sagging from theWeight of the shade.

15 A further object of the invention is to provide a support and guidefor roller windows that will be superior in point of simplicity,inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facilityand convenience in use and general efficiency.

Other objects and advantageswill appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention isillustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is understoodthat the invention is not limited to such form, because it may beembodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and bythe claims following the description, it is desired to cover theinvention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevation, from 0 the inside, of a windowframe having a roller shade mounted thereon on a guide deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through Fig. 1 on the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through Fig. 1 on the line 33.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered in holding a window shadein a drawn position parallel to the face of that type of window sashwhich opens into either a vertical, or horizontal angular position in awindow frame. On a sash made to swing into an angular position, a windowshade mounted thereon would in a drawn position tend to sag of its ownweight. My invention con- 1931. Serial No. 553,797.

templates a guiding apparatus, which is mounted on the opposite sidestiles of a Window sash, to receive the opposite side edges of a windowshade therein, whereby the edges of said shade will be prevented fromsagging from the weight of the said sash, and at all timesthe shade willbe supported in a substantially planar position.

In detail, the construction illustrated in the drawing comprises awindow frame generally designated by the numeral 1, having a sash 2therein, slidably and pivotally connected to opposite sides of thewindow frame by the sash supporting arms 3. I do not Wish to limitmyself to any particular form of sash supporting and controllingmechanism, as I am awarethere are many types of such apparatuses foroperating and controlling sashes in a swinging position.

A window shade 4, mounted on a spring roller 5, is secured to the insideface of the sash on each of the opposite stiles by'the spaced brackets 6and 7. An end of the shade i has a pull string 8, extended around a camroller 9 secured on an end rail 10 of the sash, to draw the shade overthe sash and hold it by means of a cam roller,- in any selectedposition. lVhile the cam roller 9 is commonly used to hold a shade in adrawn position on a sash which is stationary or which slides in avertical or horizontal plane, or which. swings in vertical or horizontalplane, I have found that'the cam roller is essentially necessary to ashade arranged on a horizontally swinging sash, such as I haveindicatedinmy drawing, to obtain an efficient operation of the shade. 1

In order to :hold the opposite side edges of the window shade 4c inclose proximity to the inside face of theopposite side'stiles of thesash 2, I arrange a pair of U shaped brackets 9-10 and 1112 on each ofthe said oppo site stiles of the sash. enthe inside face thereof.adjacent each of the opposite end rails of the sash. ihe U shapedbrackets are arranged so that one leg 13 thereof may be fastened to theface of the sash by means of fastening screws 14. The opposite leg 15 ofeach of the brackets is bended or arranged in some desirable manner toreceive and support an end of the guide members 16-1 6. Although I haveshown each of the gu de members 16-16 to be a wire or rod having theopposite ends looped over or headed and 5 enlarged to be received in thesockets 15' formed on the ends of the bracket legs 15, it is to beunderstood that a non-extensible ribbon guide might be substituted inlieu of the wire or rod 16 or 16. The respective pairs of brackets 910and 1112 are each arranged on opposite stiles of the sash on a linesubstantially parallel to the edges of the window shade when in thedrawn position, so that the legs 15 on each 15 bracket are insubstantial alignment and the guide members 16--16 will be in parallelalignment with the side edges of the window shade.

The respective pairs of U shaped brackets 8 9-40 and 11-12, togetherwith the connecting guide members 1616, are so arranged that the windowshade 4 will be received between the projecting legs 15 of the saidbrackets, and the inside face of the sash 2. Thus when the window shade4 is placed into a drawn position on the window sash 2, the shade edgesWill be confined between the respective brackets and the guide members16--16, and the edges of said shade 4 will "be so supported that theweight of the said shade will not cause it to sag or droop when the sashis swung into any angular open or closed position. The sash guiding andsupporting apparatus will guide a window shade on a sash in a truemanner, and because sagging or dropping of the shade is prevented, thesash life is prolonged, and in moving the shade into and from the drawnand rolled positions it is subjected to a minimum of 4. abuse.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patcut is:

1. A window guide to support a side edge of a Window shade comprised ofa bar having a head formed on each of its opposite ends; and a bracketarranged adjacent each of the V opposite ends of the bar, each brackethaving a socket therein in which one of the opposite enlarged heads ofthe bar is confined.

2. A guide to support a side leg of a window shade comprised of a pairof U shaped brackets, each bracket having one leg thereof arranged forattachment to a shade support and the other leg provided with a sockettherein, said bracket being spaced apart and connected by a guidemember, having an enlarged head on each of its opposite ends that isconfined in the bracket sockets, to guide the window shade thereon.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,Calif., this 1st day of July, 1931.

THOMAS E. MGNULTY.

